Dancing With Fire
by MAD4magik
Summary: Lord Voldemort could bring the world to its knees with a snap of his wrist, but the one thing he wanted, the one thing that would satisfy his hunger for blood, was the death of just four seventeen year olds.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: **HELLO EVERYONE! I'm back with another story! I've actually had this story on my hard-drive for along time, and I just now decided to put it up! I would just like to say one thing...DOOM!**

**MAD4magik**

Disclaimer: I own only what is new to your mind! Jesyka Black and Danielle Knyte are two original characters that belong to me. Although Danielle Knyte is a character inspired by my bestest buddy. Woopa!! (Don't ask, I won't tell).

Prologue 

**H**is appearance made even the most powerful man quiver in terror. The title he had bestowed upon himself sent shivers up the spines of the bravest warriors. His presence could force any soul to insanity. He proclaimed himself fear. He was the nightmare that haunts your children and family, he was the shadow that lurked behind you, hiding in the corners you'd never suspect. Lord Voldemort was no longer man, he was, and always would be, the living dead.

Cries of pain etched a sickening smile onto his inhuman face. Tears of loss lifted his dark spirits. Souls crushed and lives ended were the only happenings that made this monster gleeful. This cruel and diabolical creature given life only by the deepest fires of Hell made even the devil cower.

Lord Voldemort could bring the world to its knees with a snap of his wrist, but the one thing he wanted, the one thing that would satisfy his hunger for blood, was the death of just four seventeen year olds.

Chapter 1

**T**he time had come, yet again. Harry could feel his heart pounding from the depth of his chest as the Hogwart's Express chugged slowly out of the station. Why had they made him come back? He had to find the Horcruxes, he had to destroy them, and he had to defeat the darkest wizard of all time, before it was too late. But, could he defeat Voldemort without Dumbledore.

A tear almost escaped from Harry's eyes. The summer had not been a happy one. Even Bill and Fleur's Wedding had been rather depressing for Harry. Whether or not anyone knew was a mystery to him, but he didn't care, he had more important things to think about.

Harry took in a deep breath and sighed. His eyes glanced at the figure that sat across from him.

Long tangles of black hair obscured her face slightly, but Harry could see tears sliding one by one down from his god sister's silver eyes. Harry was obviously not the only one to be hurt by the death of their headmaster. Jesyka had also not taken the news well.

Her knees were drawn up to her chest as she hugged them; her nails were digging into the material of her pants as her bright eyes looked heavenward. The dark bags under her eyes were almost identical to the ones forming under Harry's own emerald eyes. For the past two months, sleep had not been easy to come by.

Harry's gaze turned from Jesyka to the empty seat next to him. The one who would understand, the one who could help comfort him, was gone. She had been given the noble title of Head Girl, and, against her wishes, she was off at a meeting. Danielle told him countless times that she wanted to be with him, that she would have rather sat right there next to him, stroking his arm to calm his fears, but she couldn't.

The other empty seat next to Jesyka belonged to Harry's best friend, Ron. He, out of some miraculous course of events, had received a shiny Head Boy badge in his final Hogwart's letter. As Danielle had said, Harry knew Ron would rather be here than at some meeting. Ron was not exactly ecstatic to be Head Boy, as it showed the similarities between him and his elder brother Percy, whom the four of them disliked immensely. Though Ron had not verbally informed either Harry or Jesyka, they both knew.

"I wish it would rain." Jesyka said quietly, still looking toward the heavens. Harry looked outside to see that the sun shone brightly in the nearly cloudless sky.

"There's not enough happiness for the sun to shine." Jesyka added, not waiting for a response from Harry. Jesyka sighed, and then tore her eyes away from the blue sky and instead stared at her feet. Harry said nothing, but turned his gaze toward the door, waiting for it to spring open to reveal his absent friends.

Minutes passed like years in the quiet compartment. Both of the depressed students seemed to give up hope on their friends ever coming to sit with them, until the door slid open, and the two missing students plopped down in their seats.

"Hey everybody!" Danielle Knyte said catiously as she entered the compartment. "How's is everyone?" She carefully took a seat next to Harry, and saw the one tear on his cheek.

"Oh Harry!" she muttered, and slowly grabbed his hand. "Its all gonna be okay." Harry looked up at Danielle, and their eyes connected. Danielle then suddenly jumped, and drew back her hand as she shivered. Moments with Harry were always weird these days.

Again, the silence set itself upon them. Jesyka kept herself subconsciously entertained by simply tapping her feet together. Ron watched her, concern in his blue eyes. Danielle stole glances at Harry, almost checking up on him, to make sure he was okay. These days, silence was a curse that they couldn't shake. What was there to say? Nothing could cheer their harden souls. From the dreary looks of things, nothing was going to be the same.

Author's Note: **So? What did you think? Please be crucially honest, but I would appreciate descriptive criticism! Basically, if it sucks, tell me why! I know its short, but I have four more chapters coming if people review. I might put the second one up whether anyone reviews or not! Thank you for reading, and have a pleasant day! **

**MAD4magik**


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: All right, I'm updating and changing the chapters of this and my other stories. Jennifer Duesbee, as I have stated in another story, is no longer present in any of my works. And good riddens to her. But anyway...

**ENJOY**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the works of J.K. Rowling. I own anything you don't recognize!**

Chapter 2

As the sky darkened, Harry and Ron left the compartment to change into their school robes. Once they had slipped their school robes on, they waited outside the compartment door, arms folded as they watched the other students walk by, laughing and joking, not a care in the world.

"Do you think we'll ever be like that again?" Ron asked suddenly, slightly catching Harry off guard. He looked at Ron next to him, but Ron was staring at the floor.

"Like what?" Harry asked, knowing quite well what Ron meant though.

"Do you think we'll ever be happy again?" When Harry didn't answer, Ron went on. "I mean, I can't remember the last time I laughed. Not even Fred and George can laugh much anymore. How do these kids find the energy to joke around?"

"I really don't know Ron. It's not looking to good." Harry said, and he saw Ron's shoulders drop. Just then, before Ron could respond, the door slid open, and Harry and Ron walked in and sat again in their seats. Harry plopped down next to Danielle, who just smiled at him warmly. He could barely remember what happiness felt like, but with one smile from Danielle, he felt something close.

The train began to slow as the squeak of the brakes filled the air around them. They rose silently and disappeared into the crowd of students rushing to the doors.

The Great Hall seemed empty. Professor McGonagall, who had fulfilled the vacant place of Headmistress, sat in the middle of the staff table. The four felt strange as they looked at the new Headmistress, more tears fell down Jesyka face, but Danielle remained strong. She felt she had too, for Harry. She wanted to show Harry that she was brave, just like him. Of course she had cried, but all the tears in the world wouldn't bring back their beloved headmaster.

Jesyka, unlike Danielle, couldn't stop the quiet tears as they wove their way down her freckled cheeks. She had tried to have courage. All summer she had tried not to cry. But being back at school was too much for her emotions. She knew she should try not to cry, but every time she wiped away the tears, the memories rushed back like wildfire. Again she stood in the depths of the Ministry of Magic and watched her father fall into the Veil of Death, and again she sat before the white tomb, listening to the mournful song of the merepeople.

Jesyka grabbed Ron's hand, holding it tight to stop her sobs. Ron, quite accustomed to this ritual, stroked her hand gently as they sat again at the barren table. He looked sideways at her, her face hidden in her hands, and felt the familiar feelings of worry take over him again. Lately, Jesyka had been unstable like this, was she going to be all right for the rest of the year? How was she going to bare any more news of death? They were all deeply depressed recently, and maybe Ron's worry was focused on Jesyka because she showed it more than the others. Or could he be worried about her for other reasons unknown?

Harry felt Danielle's fingers weave together with his again. He had come to think that this gesture comforted her more than him. He saw her far off expression, and could almost hear her thoughts. He knew her mind was working just like his, like a tape repeating the painful memories of the great Albus Dumbledore.

None of them heard a word Professor McGonagall said, but they did, in fact, snap back to reality just in time to hear the Sorting Hat's song.

The times have turned dark and grim

_Hearts have suffered unspeakable pain_

_But soon we must unite as one_

_To renew the world again_

_Though the Gryffindors are brave_

_And the Slytherins cunning and clever_

_You must put aside your differences_

_In order to bring peace forever_

_The Hufflepuffs might be shy_

_And the Ravenclaws have minds galore_

_The alliance between them both_

_Could open these locked doors_

_You children of this school_

_And all who of Earth are born _

_Hold the future in your hands_

_To change the world we've torn_

_So step forward young warriors_

_And start your fight against hate_

_I shall place you where you're meant_

_But you shall decide your fate _

The hall was filled with applause shortly after the song was finished. Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks.

"How does that hat expect us to be friends with the people who are responsible for…what happened." Harry snapped, glaring across the hall to the Slytherin table.

They were silent. None of them responded to Harry's small outburst. What could they say? Though they had denied countless times that Malfoy was a death eater, they now knew, and Malfoy was partially responsible.

The sorting went by like a blur. They were all too absorbed in their own thoughts to pay any attention to the happy little first years as they skipped to one of the four tables cheerfully. Clapping hands surrounded them, happy cheers, but nothing seemed to pull them out of their trances. Even when the food came, they seemed to eat automatically, almost like zombies.

Once the food had disappeared, the Head Boy and Head Girl left to monitor the students as they made their way to their warm common rooms. Harry and Jesyka slunk from the crowd and walked without any conversation to the Head Boy and Girl common room entrance. They had not really expected to, but they thought they'd rather sit in the silence of their friends then be even further distressed by the joy of the other Gryffindors.

Danielle and Ron appeared at the end of the hall after what seemed like ages.

"What are you two…?"

"Just thought we could all talk." Harry said, cutting off Ron. Danielle ignored the two of them and was actually quite happy that they might actually withhold a conversation for the first time in weeks.

"Flubberworms." Danielle mumbled to the portrait of a tan man dressed in royal jewels and a turban. The man nodded and his painting swung open.

The Head Common Room was, yes, smaller than the Gryffindor Common Room, but was decorated much more immensely. There were flags showing the pennants of each house hanging from the walls, an elaborate mural of an epic Indian war, and drapes of all the house colors. In the center of the room were two inviting armchairs and between them was a small couch, all three placed conveniently in front of a large, bellowing fire place.

Ron fell with relief onto the couch without a word to any of the others. Harry sat in one of the armchairs and Danielle sat in the chair across from Harry's, looking at him with care. Jesyka sat next to Ron, and leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she inhaled deeply, calming herself. The four sat in silence, and all hope for conversation was lost, they all just stared, hypnotized by the dance of the fire.

_Author's Note:_ **Its kind of funny that everyone, or many, have author's notes at the beginning and end of their stories!** **Well, I really hope you'll review, praise and criticism is greatly welcomed! Thank you for taking the time and brain cells to read my Fanfic:-)**

**MAD4magik**


	3. Chapter 3

**I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!**

_Author's note: Here is chapter three, and I would like to thank all of my reviews. Please read and review! _

Chapter 3

**T**he morning came too soon, and the four awoke in the same clothes and places they had been the night before. Jesyka's head had come to rest of Ron's shoulder, and his own head had shifted onto hers. Danielle had slid down from her chair and had cuddled up on the rug in front of the fire. Any normal day, they would have felt awkward at their peculiar sleeping positions, but this morning, they paid no attention to the fact. They only jumped slightly, recovered themselves, and stood. With mutters of "Good Morning", Danielle and Ron went off to their individual dormitories and Harry and Jesyka walked sleepily back to Gryffindor Tower, happy no one else had awoken yet.

Once the four were once again brought together at the breakfast table, their own silence seemed to overpower the rest of the Great Hall's ruckus. The first day, it was the first day of seventh year. Professor McGonagall shuffled up and down the Gryffindor table, passing out schedules to the students. She slowed down slightly when she came to the four, even smiled a little, but said nothing as she set their schedules on the table. They made no acknowledgement of her presence.

"Figures." Danielle muttered, breaking the invisible barrier of silence.

"What?" Jesyka asked, her voice unenthusiastic, as they all had been lately.

"We've got Potions, first class." She said, putting her schedule back down, and resting her head back onto her hand. Then, suddenly, she sat up.

"Wait a minute." She snapped.

"What?" Jesyka repeated in the same tone as before.

"If Snape's gone, who do you think is teaching D.A.D.A?"

This brought Harry, Jesyka, _and _Ron to attention.

"I don't know, maybe they'll bring Moody back." Jesyka said, putting a little excitement into the last part.

"I doubt that, sorry Jesyka, but after what happened last time..." Jennifer commented, and Jesyka's shoulders fell.

"True." She murmured, and then perked up again.

"What about Lupin?"

"Who wants a werewolf to teach their children at a time like this?" Harry commented, joining in the conversation. Danielle looked up, smiling slightly, happy to finally see Harry talking about something other than Voldemort. He was so depressed these days, and they all knew why. It was obvious, but it hurt Danielle to see him like this. It had seemed that ever since Harry and Ron's fight in third year, Danielle had had the almost responsibility of watching over Harry, making sure he didn't stray too far into trouble. Jesyka had been and still was the one held responsible for Ron, making sure he didn't encourage Harry to get into trouble. This little fact, Harry and Ron had no idea about.

"Well, than I wonder who'll be brave enough to be our teacher this year." Danielle wondered aloud.

"Brave? More like idiotic." Ron muttered, and Jesyka giggled. They all froze.

Now, you must understand, these four were going through a very hard time. It had been weeks, no, months since any of them had laugh or really even smiled. Just the sound of Jesyka's laugh was foreign to all of them. Of course, Jesyka had always laughed at Ron's sarcasm, but that was before. That was all before this great weight of depression had settled onto their shoulders.

They spoke nothing of the laugh; they all just rose from the table, and made their way toward the dungeons in silence.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, our new seventh years." That's what Slughorn said to them as they entered the classroom. His voice was cheery, and he practically jumped up and down when they walked in the room. They each knew why he was so excited and could explain it in one word…

"Harry!" Slughorn proclaimed, answer our question for us. " How wonderful to see you. And Miss Knyte, you're looking swell." Harry and Danielle only nodded to Slughorn's compliments, and led Jesyka and Ron over to their usual table.

Upon sitting down, Danielle dug into her bag and pulled out a roll of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of brand new ink. The other three remained still.

"You know," Danielle, whispered harshly to her friends, "class just might be a little less boring if you actually paid attention."

"But that would take all the fun out of being lazy." Jesyka whispered back to Danielle, and pulled out her sketchpad and pencil. "Besides, I learn better from pictures." And with that, she became absorbed in her drawing.

Danielle rolled her eyes and turned back to the front, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry, next to her, with his parchment, quill, and ink. She smiled slightly to herself, and was thankful that at least one of her friends listened to her. Yet, deep down, she knew Harry had only listened to her to make her happy. Funny, wasn't it, that all Danielle wanted was to make Harry happy and back to his old fun self during this time of fear, and Harry wanted the exact same thing for her.

"Ah hem!" Slughorn cleared his throat to catch the attention of all the seventh years. "Role Call."

The list seemed to go on and on. Jesyka and Danielle had already raised their hands in show of their attendance, when Slughorn called out,

"Draco Malfoy."

For the first time in the six years they had been attending Hogwarts, there was no reply. Harry, Ron, Danielle, and Jesyka shot their gaze in the direction Malfoy usually was, but there was no one occupying his or Pansy's seats. Harry had told them he'd run off with her, but it was strange to imagine a year at Hogwarts without him.

"Do you think Malfoy really is with Pansy?" Jesyka asked the three as they exited Slughorn's classroom about an hour later.

"Probably, and she's probably pregnant." Danielle scowled, just thinking of the two made her sick.

"Yea, unless Voldemort's killed him already." Harry muttered, making the vibe around them icy again. Why was it that they could barely get through a conversation without the mention of Voldemort?

The silence was slowly creeping back, but Danielle was determined to block it.

"When are Quidditch try-outs going to be this year Captain?" she asked casually, changing the subject to something less evil.

"No idea." Was all he said to answer.

"Don't rush him, we did just get back." Ron said to Danielle, patting Harry on the shoulder. "He'll get around to it, won't you Harry?"

"Yea, I will." Harry said, but Danielle noticed the look. Over the summer, Harry had developed a certain dazed look, and just looking into his eyes sent shivers up her spine. His eyes, gazing past the walls of Hogwarts, seemed overflowing with a thousand emotions. There was hate, anger, determination, hunger, and yet, there was pain. There was worry, and fear. There was heart-breaking agony of the likes only Harry could ever understand. She knew that look immediately, and knew what it meant; Voldemort.

"Harry!" Danielle said loudly, prodding his shoulder with her finger. Harry jumped and turned to her.

"What?" he asked harshly. Danielle sighed, he was already gone. She hated that look; it hurt her almost as much as it hurt him.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently, her hand on his arm. Harry sighed, and looked away from her.

"Fine." He said, convincingly. He couldn't stand to see Danielle unhappy and hurt, and he could never understand what hurt her so. And if Danielle had her way, she never let him know that the thing that hurt her so, was him.


	4. Chapter 4

This is my only note to you readers: Thank you for everything you've given me. Inspiration, patience, and loyalty. Thank you

Chapter 4

**S**eptember vanished almost right before their eyes, and October was upon them. The air outside began to drop in temperature, and the first Hogsmeade trip of the year was right around the corner. Many students found it difficult to maintain any obedience in their first ever Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Headmistress McGonagall had postponed these classes until a "suitable professor had been found," as she'd said.

What remained of the seventh years stood anxiously outside the classroom. The students who had been taken out of Hogwarts by their families last year were nowhere to be seen. Girls and boys alike murmured and gossiped about what their new professor would be like, until the door suddenly flew open, and a deep voice called them in.

They slowly and cautiously walked into the dark classroom. By instinct, Jesyka grabbed Ron's hand. Just as he didn't appreciate spiders, she didn't welcome the dark.

Immediately after the thought of fear had registered into Jesyka's mind, about three-dozen lanterns lit around the room, shedding light everywhere, and revealing the face of their new professor.

They had assumed by the depth of his voice that he was a man, but never would they have predicted his appearance to be so, so, intriguing. He had sort of a young look about him, what with his long dark green cloak and his blue denim jeans. His hair fell just past his ears, a strange color that seemed to be the perfect mixture of dark browns and reds. His complexion was pale, and his feet, engulfed in large, black boots were rested easily on his desk as his long body leaned back in his chair. He seemed completely relaxed considering the difficult position he had agreed to fill. The one thing everyone noticed quickly about him, were his eyes.

Almost every person looks into a stranger's eyes the first time they meet him, and feel more comfortable to talk with them. But this man's eyes were almost hypnotizing. They were a dark color of blue; so dark they seemed almost purple. His gaze scanned and memorized each and every face in the room, but they paused on Harry. They paused on Harry's scar.

"So…" he finally said, putting his feet back onto the floor. " This is the one I've heard so much about. 'The Chosen One' eh?"

Harry did not look at him. Danielle gave him a small smile, and Harry somehow found the courage to say out loud.

"Depends on how you look at it." His face showed no expression as he stared deep into the strange eyes of this new face. Then, Harry grabbed Danielle by the hand, and pulled her toward a desk. He chose the middle, as not too seem eager, but also, not to seem afraid.

"And this is Danielle Knyte? The smart one?" The stranger asked, point a finger at her. She shrugged, too modest to admit how smart to really was, but expressing no emotion on the outside. The man nodded, and continued to gaze around the room. Jesyka and Ron sat at the table with Danielle and Harry. The students were sitting down as the stranger lifted up a piece of parchment and called the names one by one. The role call went on, because each time he called someone's name, he stopped, looked at him or her in a peculiar way, then paused for silence, and called the next name.

"Jesyka Black?" He called out suddenly, and Jesyka jumped, and almost dropped her sketchbook.

"What?" she asked abruptly. The man stared at her without blinking.

"Are you or are you not here?" he asked, his eyes staring, almost seeing through her.

"Yes." She said shyly, sinking down into her chair.

"Well, Miss Black, I for one and interested in why you were not paying attention." He said coolly, and then put out his hand for her sketchbook. Jesyka sighed and handed it over.

"Don't worry, I'll give it back." His voice was teasing, but he showed no smile. He opened it and flipped to the page she had recently been working on.

"Ah, we have an artist." He commented without looking up from the sketchbook. "What do you think?" He flipped the sketchbook around to show the class a realistic drawing of the man standing in front of them.

"Do you draw all you teachers, or just me?" He asked, his voice changed again, transforming into a happy, more joking tone, yet his expression barely moved. Jesyka's cheeks were turning a bright pink and she did not look at the man.

The stranger handed back her sketchbook and continued with role call. Jesyka's face did not turn back to its original color until the professor had sat down at his desk again, with his feet propped up.

" Welcome, as many would say, to your doom." Several looked at the man like he was crazy and Harry's hand bolted for his wand. " Seventh year is the deciding year. The final year to show everything you've accomplished, or haven't accomplished." His gaze seemed to fly from Danielle to Ron. "So, in basic terms, your doom."

Some kids chuckled a little, but others remained silent.

"I am your new professor. I graduated, actual, last in my year right here from Hogwarts. But I did manage to do better than everyone I knew in Defense Against the Dark Arts. That is why I have returned to teach my favorite subject." His eyes scanned the room just before Danielle boldly raised her hand. But instead of calling on her, he continued.

"My name is Daemeon. Daemeon is what you shall call me. Professor Daemeon, if you would." After saying this, Danielle slowly put her hand down, but did not look away from the Professor. "Now, if there aren't any questions, lets get started with today's lesson."

That day's lesson was different from any normal class. The teaching method was simple; the abnormal part of the whole lesson was the teacher. He sat at his desk the whole class, using magic to move the black board or skip to the next slide, and when the bell rang, he twitched at the noise and dismissed them, never moving from his chair.

The four walked quickly away from Professor Daemon's classroom, and out side, to the comfort of the sun. They slunk down to the trunk of the beech tree, and not one of them spoke a word about what had happened. Each of them knew he was strange, but hadn't all their D.A.D.A teachers been strange. He couldn't be that weirder that Moody, the "death eater/ insane lunatic". The silence was broken, this time, by Jesyka, who turned suddenly to Danielle and asked.

"What were you going to ask him, Danielle? When you raised you hand?" Danielle shifted uncomfortable in the grass, and said.

"What his name was." Then she looked at Jesyka and said. "You don't think he could be…"

"What if he is?" Jesyka said, catching quickly what Danielle was getting at.

" I don't know, Jesyka. We could just be imagining it. You know for a fact, even Trelawney said, only 1 out of every 50 men possibly have The Sight." Danielle said, spitting out the fact fast as if to calm her own suspicions. Jesyka sat back against the tree and sighed.

"Well, maybe he's that one." And then she pulled out her sketchbook, and continued to work on the drawing of Professor Daemeon.

Danielle shrugged and opened her book to the page she left off on but then she saw Harry, and the look slowly taking over his face.

"So, what are we doing for Hogsmeade?" Danielle asked with fake enthusiasm. Harry snapped his head toward her, calmed down, and shrugged.

"I don't know." Harry commented, but actually looked interested in the conversation.

"We could just hang out like we normally do." Ron muttered, watching Jesyka drawing from over her shoulder.

"What do you think Jesyka?" Danielle asked, but Jesyka just shrugged. She was indulging too much of her attention into her sketching to listen clearly to Danielle's question. Danielle nudged her in the ribs, and Jesyka jumped.

"What?" Jesyka asked, rubbing her side.

"What do you think we should do this weekend in Hogsmeade?" Danielle asked, her voice a little frustrated.

"Hogsmeade? Go, I guess?" Jesyka shrugged. Danielle rolled her eyes, and looked to see them all silent again, with expressions far off. Sighing, Danielle decided to give up, and let the silence take over their friendship again.

**Author's Note: I would like to thank Hecate's Diamon for reviewing and pointing out mistakes I had never SAW before. I believe I fixed them all, but if there's any I missed, please tell me. Thank you for reading everyone! Adieu!**

**MAD4magik**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**R**on woke surprisingly early on the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip. He tossed and turned for about half an hour until he finally abandoned any hope of getting more sleep. He just stood, rose from his bed, and made the decision to dress.

The morning was weighted with a thick fog, Ron saw as he looked out the dormitory window. He shrugged, figuring the weather didn't affect his mood. He knew today would be the same as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that, etc! He turned and headed down to the common room, wishing for the years of his youth, when Voldemort didn't even seem to exist.

To his shock, there was another who had woken early. He stepped down from the stairs to see Jesyka sitting in the armchair, staring into the fire.

"Jesyka?" he said, wondering how she had even got in the common room.

"I heard you say the password last month." She said, and then blushed. "Sorry."

"Its okay." He answered, sitting on the couch. "Why are you up?" He asked, trying to keep conversation going.

"Just thinking." She said. He almost laughed.

"In the Head Common Room?" he said, jokingly. "Were you waiting for Danielle?" he asked.

"No, actually." She commented, and then turned to face him. "I was waiting for you."

Ron's eyes widened at the comment. In the past few months, Jesyka had come to Ron many times for comfort, just to sit with him, or stare up to the sky, but that was usually when Danielle wasn't around. He had never thought Jesyka would spend time with him _instead_ of Danielle. He was even more surprised that she had been _waiting_ to spend time with him.

"Me?" he found himself blurt out. Jesyka turned away from him and back to the fire.

"Yeah, I like spending time with you Ron." She said, her voice a little quieter than before, and Ron could see through her hair that she was blushing more.

"I like spending time with you too." Ron said, but once the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back, they were so lame. He shook his head and thought of how to change the subject.

"Are you looking forward to Hogsmeade?" He asked hastily. He thought heard Jesyka sigh.

"I guess." She muttered, her shoulders drooping. Ron just nodded, though he knew she wasn't looking at him.

"Ron," Jesyka said suddenly, though not turning to look at him. Before Ron said anything at all, she continued. "I was thinking-"

"Good morning." Jesyka and Ron both jumped and spun around to see Danielle yawning at the bottom of the stairs. She stopped in mid-yawn and opened her eyes. Smirking, she asked. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No!" Jesyka shrieked, her voice a little higher. "No, we were just talking." She smiled weakly at Danielle, who was looking a little suspicious.

"No, Jesyka, you were saying something." Ron commented, nodding to her.

"I-I was just about say, I thought Danielle w-was up." She stuttered, breathing heavy. Her cheeks were a flaming red as she rose slowly from her chair and backed away toward the door. "I think breakfast is ready." And with that, she slipped through the portrait hole and was gone. Danielle turned to Ron, almost scanning him.

"What did you do to her?"

Ron and Danielle arrived in the Great Hall shortly after Harry, who was sitting across from Jesyka, eating without speaking. Danielle sat next to him and smiled.

"Good morning Harry!" she chimed happily, and his only reply was to grunt softly as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. Danielle's smile faded, and she sighed, turning back to her plate, then her smile returned as she almost jumped out of her seat. "The Hogsmeade trip is today!"

She looked from face to face, but Ron was too busy piling food onto his plate, Jesyka was poking at her food, but looking off into space, and Harry was devouring his meal with tremendous effort. Danielle knew Harry would sometimes do anything these days to ignore conversation.

"Are we going?" She asked, a little louder then before. When no one answered, she kicked their feet.

"HEY!" they cried in unison. Danielle laughed at the awkward combination of Harry and Ron's deep voices and Jesyka's feminine voice.

"Are we, or are we not going to Hogsmeade?" she asked again, her arms folded across her chest in anger.

"Of course we are." Jesyka said, looking appalled at her comment, and then her expression turned unsure. "Right?" She looked, as Danielle did, from Harry to Ron.

"We always do." Harry grunted, his tone overflowing with sarcasm.

"Maybe if we did, some of us wouldn't be so moody!" Danielle snapped, but once the words left her mouth, she regretted them deeply. They all did.

"What?" Harry hissed, putting his fork down.

"Nothing." Danielle squeaked, scooting out of Harry's reach.

"_I'm moody? _Well I'm sorry, Danielle, that my daily mood isn't to your liking. It's a little hard to be happy and joyful when I know perfectly well that Voldemort (several shiver) is out there, waiting to kill me! It's a little hard to relax when I'm aware that I HAVE TO KILL HIM!" Harry's voice rose to a yell as people around the hall turned in shock to see Harry, standing and shouting, not only at Danielle, but also at the three of them.

"I KNOW YOU ALL THINK IT! I'M TOO GRUMPY! I NEED MORE FUN! WELL FUN MIGHT JUST HAVE TO WAIT! I HAVE TO FIND VOLDEMORT (more shivers). I HAVE TO DESTROY THE HORCRUXES! I HAVE TO, ALL BEFORE TOO MANY ARE LOST! HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO DIE BEFORE PEOPLE, LIKE YOU LOT, REALIZE THE VERY REAL DANGER WE'RE IN!"

"HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO REALIZE YOU HAVE FRIENDS TO HELP YOU?" Danielle shouted. The whole hall fell silent. She was standing, eye level with Harry, staring him down.

With that, he stormed out of the Great Hall and off to who knew where.

The three that were left behind sat frozen. Ron's eyes were wide in disbelief, Jesyka sat, and eyes also opened awkwardly wide, mouth hanging open. Danielle, on the other hand, was breathing heavily, tears leaking from her eyes.

"I'm going to my dormitory." She whispered, and stood, walking out of the Great Hall, in a slower fashion than Harry.

Jesyka and Ron sat frozen for a while, until finally Ron muttered.

"Whoa. Harry's cracked."

Jesyka, who usually would protest a little in her god brother's defense, just nodded in agreement.

"They've both cracked."

Eventually, Jesyka and Ron got up from the table and left the Great Hall in silence. The Entrance Hall was crowded with students waiting to be searched so they could make their way to the village. Jesyka looked toward the crowd and sighed, thinking that now, they definitely weren't going.

"Might have been fun." Ron sighed, also looking longingly toward the groups of students.

"Yea." Jesyka muttered, and then brightened. "Hey Ron, we can still go."

"What?" Ron said suddenly, his ears turning pink. "B-but Harry and D-D-Danielle aren't here."

"So? We could still go." Jesyka said, turning her face away from him.

"B-but t-there's o-o-only t-t-two of us." He stuttered, each word deepening the color of his ears.

"So?" Jesyka said, and then she turned back to face him, smiling. Ron's ears turned a deeper maroon than ever thought possible.

"O-o-o-k-kay." He managed, and they too, joined the crowd of their classmates waiting their day of Hogsmeade.

The tears came fast and strong from Danielle's eyes as she laid face first on her bed. Her salty tears soaked their way into the rich red material of her pillow as she clung to it for comfort. Harry had never yelled like that before, yelling because of her. And what's worse was she yelled back. She shouldn't have said it, she knew it, but it had slipped.

Last time Harry had snapped had been two whole years ago, in fifth year, but at least that time he'd apologized. This time, all he did was leave. Walk away. He always seemed to walk away, and every time, she felt as if he walked away from life. Harry was falling deeper and deeper to complete insanity. The intense pressure, the humongous burden he carried, was beginning to crush him. Danielle feared for him. She feared for his sanity, his health, his feelings, but most importantly, his life. She knew that she feared for him too much. She cared for him too much; so much, that what hurt Harry hurt her. What made Harry angry made her angry. And when Harry was happy, she was happy. She felt that neither she nor Harry would ever feel joy, love, or happiness, again.

She felt the moist material sticking to her cheek, and she rose, still clinging to the pillow, and turned her gaze to the window, as more tears fell down her soft face. As the tears fell, plopping hard onto the ground so did her heart, bit by bit.

Hogsmeade was beautiful all the time, but in Jesyka's opinion, it was best in the autumn. The dry colorful leaves scattered the ground, crunching beneath her feet, beating out a hidden rhythm. She smiled as she hummed a song in her head, matching the song to the beat of the leaves. She couldn't understand why, but she was happy. She felt full of joy as she walked again through Hogsmeade, with Ron next to her. But unlike her, as she walked along with a light grace of happiness, Ron was strolling along, head down, and his hands stuffed in his pockets. Jesyka turned to him and smiled. He did not look up at her, but she saw his ear start to color again. She smiled wider.

They made their way to the Three Broomsticks and scuttled inside, removing their hats and coats. Ron looked nervously around, and then led the way to a table far off in the corner. Jesyka just shrugged and followed, straightening her newly messed hair. They sat silently for about five minutes until Ron muttered he was going to get some butter beers. Jesyka just nodded, too happy to be interrupted.

The conversation between them seemed limited to few words. Ron fingered with his now empty butter beer bottle, looking with interest at his hands. Jesyka, meanwhile, looked at Ron. She never really noticed how much Ron had changed. From first year, when his cheeks were plump and his voice was squeaky, to now. Ron had definitely grown into his lanky frame. He was taller, obviously, and his shoulders were broader. His cheeks had thinned out, and his voice had deepened greatly. His hair had also grown, probably against his mother's wishes. It brushed about his head, reaching halfway past his ears. Mrs. Weasley must have been trimming his bangs, or he surely would have had a hard time seeing. His bangs now came to just above his bold blue eyes. Lately, at least, ever since her dad died, she had taken to looking at Ron, only when he didn't know, of course.

Ron shifted his head up and Jesyka immediately turned away. Ron paused, thought about saying something, but then decided differently, and went back to spinning his bottle around in his big hands. Jesyka glanced back toward him, and made a decision.

"Why aren't you talking?" she asked casually, leaning her head on one of her hands. Ron snapped his head up to her, and then back to his hands.

"Nothing to say." He muttered quietly, trying to absorb his concentration into the bottle.

"But Ron, we always talk, about tons of stuff." She said, titling her head slightly, trying to catch his gaze.

"But, then we weren't on a date." He muttered, and Jesyka stopped trying to get him to look at her. She just stopped, refraining herself from laughing.

"Who said we're on a date?" Jesyka said, fighting off the fit of giggles that threatened to escape. Ron's head snapped up, looking her right in the eye.

"We're not?" He said weakly. Jesyka shook her head.

"At least, I didn't think we were." She added.

"Oh." And then Ron looked back to his hands. Jesyka's smile faded. Had he really thought they we on a date?

"But what if we were?" Jesyka asked him, again trying to catch his eye.

"We're not, so what does it matter." Ron grunted, and Jesyka thought, she must have imagined it, but Ron seemed angry. "I guess you're only into the famous Quidditch players, right?" Now, Jesyka swore she heard a strong hint of jealousy.

"What are you talking about Ron?" she asked, her voice dropping its volume.

"Krum. I'm talking about Krum." He said, anger rising with his voice. Students at the tables around them were becoming silent, waiting for another outburst. "You'd never date me because I'm not Krum!"

Jesyka froze, mouth open. Ron also froze, eyes wide in disbelief of his own words. Everyone in the three broomsticks had stopped what they were doing, all of them stopped to stare at Ron and Jesyka.

Ron looked around, and then his expression turned to a glare as he stomped out the door. It took Jesyka a few minutes to comprehend what he'd said. Then she stood and ran after him.

"Ron!" she cried, looking up and down the street. Almost immediately she spotted a tall red head storming toward the Shrieking Shack. She started off for him at a sprint, but it didn't take long to catch up.

"Ron, what was that all about?" She said, trying to walk the same pace as him. Ron didn't answer; he just kept looking ahead, glaring actually. "Ron, will you just stop and say something!" But Ron wouldn't stop, he was determined to walk away from her, but she wouldn't let him.

"It's not true, you know." She snapped at him, and she stopped walking. Ron stopped too, but kept his back to her.

"What's not true?" He spat over his shoulder to her. She took a deep breath.

"That I wouldn't date you." Her voice was softer, and Ron noticed. He turned completely around to face her.

"What?" he said, trying hard to maintain his angry state, but his eyes were no longer glaring, and his voice was no longer sharp.

"Its not true that I wouldn't date you." Jesyka said, looking down at her feet. Her cheeks were slowly turning a soft pink, which was nothing compared to Ron's maroon ears.

"You would?" He asked, breathless. He had stopped trying to be angry.

Jesyka nodded to the ground, smiling.

"You have something Krum could never have, Ron." Jesyka said shyly, and then lifted her head up. "You worry about me."

Ron blinked, and then thought of something.

"Krum didn't worry about you?" He asked, still looking shocked.

"He did, I guess." She scowled just at the thought of Viktor. Then she took a breath to calm her temper. "You've been my friend for so long, and for almost all those years, not counting the troll," she added with a laugh, and then went on, " You've protected me. Viktor worried about me, but it didn't mean as much. Was Viktor there by my side, comforting me after my dad die? Did Viktor scowl and threaten almost every student who talked bad about me in our third year when my dad escaped? Did Viktor hold me every time I cried through out the summer? Was Viktor there for me any time I needed someone to talk to?" She paused, smiling wider. "No, it was you, Ron."

The maroon color from his ears was starting its way to Ron's face. He was standing only three feet from her, blinking frequently, mouth stammering in shock.

"I don't like Viktor." Jesyka laughed, and took a deep breath before she managed to say, "I like you."

Those three words sent Ron into the happiest state he thought he could ever be. He smiled weakly, but inside, he thought he might explode from all the relief, victory, and, possibly love, he was feeling at that very moment. Now, he's eyes were just wide, and his mouth was hanging open.

"W-what?" He stuttered, but Jesyka just laughed.

"Oh, Ron!" It only took three quick steps, and Jesyka had wrapped her arms around Ron's neck, and stood on tiptoe to, finally, after all these years of waiting, kiss the man she really loved.


End file.
